


Aelearyel Day

by AliceSloane13



Category: Princess of Alderaan, Star Wars - All Media Types, leia - Fandom
Genre: F/F, Gen, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-14
Updated: 2018-02-14
Packaged: 2019-03-18 16:08:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,550
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13685115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AliceSloane13/pseuds/AliceSloane13
Summary: Sometimes even celebrating love can be painful, but the best of friends are always there.





	Aelearyel Day

Leia sat in her apartment on the couch staring at blankly at a spot on the wall. Her brow was furrowed, and she chewed on the nail of her thumb. Something had been off about Amilyn. Well, something was always off about Amilyn. The thought made her smile briefly. This was different though. 

Over the past two years, she had seen Amilyn’s emotions run the gamut from heartbroken to ecstatic. This wasn't any of those. She wasn’t just sad. It was as though there was a whole lifetime of weight hanging over her shoulders. Racking her brain the closest Amilyn had ever seemed to this was when Kier had died. Amilyn had held it together for Leia’s sake, but she had dealt with Kier’s death in her own way over the following days.

There had been so much going on in that time, Leia realized she had no idea how Amilyn dealt with that. It wasn’t just her grief she had been wrapped up in. There was the memorial to plan, the crowning to prepare for, and of course political planning that her parents no longer tried to hide from her. 

The one thing there hadn’t been much of was Amilyn. Their friendship had always been an odd one indeed, but Leia knew it was a lasting one. She didn’t have a monopoly on grief those days. She had had support though. Had Amilyn?

Trying to snap herself out of it, Leia got up and went into the kitchen planning on making herself a cup of caf. There on the counter though was a tin of tea that Amilyn had left the last time she’d been over. Biting her lip, Leia decided to call her and check in on her. It couldn’t hurt, and maybe it would put her mind at ease--or, if there was something wrong she could try and do something about it. 

It took a few moments, but Leia was relentless. She had a feeling Amilyn was back at the dorms, but she couldn’t be sure. Regardless, she kept trying. Eventually, her obstinate nature paid off. 

“Leia,” Amilyn said evenly. 

It didn’t take much for Leia to realize that Amilyn had been crying. There had been something wrong. She hadn’t just imagined it. A part of her felt proud that she’d been able to recognize that in her friend. She’d always been intuitive with people, but she felt like their past brought on a deeper level of connectivity.  
Not many people understood her friend, and even fewer cared to try. Amilyn never seemed to mind, but Leia felt an individual responsibility to make sure that Amilyn was taken care of in the same way she tried to take care of those around her. 

Leia scrambled for something to say. She hadn’t thought that far ahead--strategic planner that she was. “Did I leave my datapad there?” 

Shaking her head, Amilyn looked at Leia curiously. “No, you had it last night when you were sending me those ideas for the Coruscant Senator.” 

“Right,” Leia said, nodding. There was a moment of silence, and she knew she was running out of time before she’d have to let Amilyn go unless she thought of something. The blue-haired girl was staring at her with her head cocked to the side in curiosity, but her attention seemed faltering, like she was only half there. “You left your tea here,” she finally said, holding up the blue tin and wiggling it in the air. 

“I left it there for you,” Amilyn says with a soft smile. “You were supposed to be drinking it.” 

“Oh,” Leia replied, putting the tea back down. She vaguely remembers nodding along as Amilyn listed off all the reasons why she should try it. “Well,” she drew the word out, trying to think of something. When had she become so useless at putting words together? “I don’t know how to make it,” she could have smacked herself. “Like you do, I mean.” 

Amilyn sighed, and for a moment Leia thought she was going to tell her she had to go. “What’s really going on?” Amilyn asked. 

Shrugging, Leia looked down at her lap at picked at her nails nervously. “I just wanted to check on you. You seemed… off this afternoon.” 

“I was,” Amilyn admitted. She reached a hand up and wiped at the tears threatening to start again. “I’m okay though.” 

“Obviously,” Leia said, not meaning to sound quite as harsh as it did. “Do you want to come over?” 

Taking a heavy breath, Amilyn nodded. She wouldn’t meet Leia’s gaze, couldn’t meet it. 

“Should I come get you?” Leia asked, having no idea what was wrong. 

“No, I’ll be okay. Just give me a few minutes to pack up. I can… I can stay right?” she asked, biting her bottom lip.   
Leia rolled her eyes. “Of course you can stay.” She thought she’d made it clear in the past that Amilyn could come over anytime she liked, but now she wasn’t sure. Why hadn’t she called her? It was obvious that she wanted the company. 

“Let me pack up some things, and I’ll be over.” Amilyn sat up and was about to go when she hesitated. “Leia? Will you make some tea?” 

“It won’t be as good as yours,” Leia said with a raised eyebrow. 

Amilyn smiled gently, despite the tears. “Just make it please.” 

***

Twenty minutes later, Amilyn was curled up on Leia’s couch wrapped up in one of Leia’s blankets with a cup of tea warming her hands. She had been freezing when she’d gotten there despite the tepid weather. Leia had quickly ushered her inside and gone about making her as nested down as she could. 

“You’re very good at this,” Amilyn noted, as Leia slid a pair of fluffy socks on her feet. She finished her tea and set the empty mug down on the table next to her. 

Leia smiled but stayed quiet. She wanted to give Amilyn room to get settled before she asked her what was going on. Knowing what she did about her friend, she knew that pressing her with questions wouldn’t accomplish anything. Amilyn would talk when she was ready. 

Reaching down, Amilyn grasped Leia’s hands in hers. “Come sit with me,” she requested. She pulled Leia up next to her, far closer than the princess would have sat on her own. Without overthinking things, Amilyn slid one of Leia’s arms around herself and snuggled against her. 

Leia felt Amilyn slip her arms around her waist and bury her eyes against her collarbone. Somehow she knew not to talk. She knew to hold on and wait for Amilyn to center herself enough to open up. Without thinking about it, Leia leaned forward and kissed the top of Amilyn’s head. She felt the tears staining her shirt and the shake in her friend's shoulders. The only thing she could do was hold her close and try to surround her with whatever comfort she could. 

After a moment Amilyn turned her head and rested her cheek against Leia. “You know, on Gatalenta today is a day of celebration.” 

“Oh?” 

Nodding, Amilyn continued. “Mmhmm.   
Aelearyel Day. We spend the day celebrating those we love. A lot of times that is mainly turned into a lot of romantic dinners and dates, but it’s not just about lovers. It’s about the people who bring love into our lives and remembering why that’s so important.” 

Leia nodded along, listening to the details Amilyn shared. It was a very fitting holiday for Amilyn, and Leia wondered why she wasn’t more excited or celebrating. Amilyn could find joy in the smallest things. It didn’t make sense. “We don't have anything like that on Alderaan. It sounds nice. Maybe you can help me come up with a way to start that back home.” 

Smiling sadly, Amilyn nodded. “I would like that very much.” 

Leia’s brow furrowed. “Then why are you so sad, Am?” She moved a stray lock of hair away from her friend’s face and waited for an answer. Amilyn’s eyes closed, and she waited… holding her breath. The air felt heavy, and she didn’t know if she’d done something wrong or what had upset her. Stroking her thumb against Amilyn’s cheek, she was comforted by the weight of Amilyn leaning into her. 

“My grandmother died on this day,” Amilyn explained. “It was a few years ago, but…” 

“You miss her,” Leia finished knowingly. “You should have told me.” She pulled Amilyn into a hug. “You were really gonna spend the day holed up in your room instead of letting me in?” 

Amilyn shrugged. “I didn’t want to upset you.” 

“Amilyn, death is upsetting on its own, but you were the one who taught me not to hide from that. Death is more than just a life ending. Those lives should be mourned and remembered, and that can be a great process of healing, but they should also be celebrated.” 

Amilyn laughed. “When did you become the philosophical one?” 

Shrugging Leia laughed. “I don’t know this weird girl I know must be rubbing off on me,” she teased.” 

“It’s a good look on you,” Amilyn said seriously. “Can I tell you about her?” 

Nodding eagerly, Leia cuddled closer. “I would love that.” 

Amilyn talked for some time about her grandmother. She told Leia story after story of how unique she’d been. About how she had decided that she didn’t like the way her name was spelled, so she changed it--not officially, she just started signing it differently until it took. 

She told Leia about the time they had her 70th birthday, and her grandmother had admitted that her 70th birthday had actually been the year before. She hadn’t wanted to seem older than her husband so just like her name she changed it--unofficially of course. The next year she confessed that it had been two years that she’d lied about. When she’d passed, Amilyn made sure that the dates recorded were those that her grandmother had wanted them to be. She would have loved that. 

Leia listened while Amilyn told her about her grandmother’s favorite stories, and how she’d read to Amilyn before bed nearly every night. The holovids that Amilyn would watch with her, she was the only grandchild that had the patience for the outdated shows her grandmother loved. The songs they would sing together, the adventures they would go on. Once, when Amilyn had been very small, her grandmother had hit a speeder in traffic. The driver was irate, but by the end of the incident, she had wholly convinced him that she hadn’t hit him at all and he left apologizing. 

It was clear to Leia that not only was Amilyn’s grandmother an incredible person but that she had accepted Amilyn’s quirks more than anyone. She had fostered that uniqueness in the young girl and had given her the confidence to be exactly who she chose to be. For that, she was eternally grateful. Her world would be a darker place without Amilyn’s brand of weird. 

When things had quieted, and Amilyn had talked herself into sobs and back out of them, Leia kissed her temple and squeezed her tightly. “I have something for you,” she said. “It was supposed to be for your birthday, but today seems like a good day for it too.” 

Sitting up, Amilyn looked at her with a quizzical gaze. “You got me a birthday present?” 

“Of course,” Leia said, nudging her gently. “Now, come on before I change my mind and make you wait.” She winked at Amilyn playfully and dragged her away from the nest of blankets and pillows and into the kitchen. 

Leia hadn’t thought to question whether Amilyn would like the idea or not, but she briefly wondered if it was too childish and trite. She internally rolled her eyes at the thought of anything being too childish for Amilyn. 

“Okay sit here,” Leia said, pushing her onto one of the bar stools. “I need to grab some things.” Moving about the kitchen, she quickly grabbed the supplies she’d had tucked away. 

Amilyn watched curiously as Leia brought out item after item. There was food coloring and glue. 2 empty jars and glitter. Lots of glitter. Glitter that would have been enough of a present all on its own. The food coloring was a dark color somewhere between navy blue and black. The glitter was black and silver, with the occasional flecks that resembled stars, and perfect in every way. 

Step-by-step she followed Leia’s instructions. It didn’t take long for her to figure out what they were making, but the end result was breathtaking. “It’s like you’ve managed to capture the entire galaxy in one tiny jar,” Amilyn said, as she shook the jar gently and watched the glitter swirl within. 

Leia smiled as she watched her friend. If the galaxy was captured in anything, it was undoubtedly her best friends eyes. The way they glistened in delight at such a simple creation left Leia feeling very satisfied with her choice. Without thinking about it, she leaned over and kissed Amilyn on the cheek. “Happy Aelearyel day,” she whispered. 

Setting the jar down on the bar, Amilyn felt like she could barely breathe. The gesture was friendly enough, and it wasn’t like Leia hadn’t ever been affection before, but the brush of her lips had left an ache in Amilyn’s core that was new. “Leia,” she said, genuinely grateful for what she’d been given. She pulled Leia into a hug and kissed her cheek in return. “Thank you,” she whispered, not bothering to hold back her tears. 

After cleaning up the kitchen, the girls once more found themselves in pajamas on the couch. Leia had downloaded some of the old holovids Amilyn had mentioned, and they played out in front of them. Amilyn was curled against Leia once more, occasionally reaching over to the table and shaking her jar up so the contents would spin and swirl once more. 

“I love it,” Amilyn said, not for the first time. 

Leia laughed gently and ran her hand through Amilyn’s hair. “I’m glad,” she said. Reaching over for a pillow, she placed it on her lap and guided Amilyn’s head into her lap. 

Too tired to argue, Amilyn laid down and enjoyed the comfort being offered. Her grandmother had always accepted her unconditionally. She thought losing her would be the end of that, but in that moment she knew that Leia’s adoration of her was equally unconditional. She reached for Leia’s hand that wasn’t currently in her hair and kissed it gently. 

Leia tangled their fingers together and smiled down at Amilyn. She felt content, and it had been a long time since she’d felt that way. Leia watched the holovids long after Amilyn had fallen asleep. She didn’t dare move in the fear that she’d wake her friend. She had never been much for watching holovids--most of them just didn’t appeal to her, and she got bored--but these were different. She could see why her friend enjoyed them. They were a bit too old for girlish sleepovers, but this felt right, and Leia vowed that she would make a habit of having Amilyn over for more nights like this.

**Author's Note:**

> So, my grandma has been gone for 5 years today. The stories included are all true! I hope you enjoyed. It's been kind of a rough day, but writing this helped.


End file.
